Decades of mismanagement led to choked forests — now it’s time to clear them out, fire experts say

For decades, federal, state and local agencies have prioritized fire suppression over prevention, pouring billions of dollars into hiring and training firefighters, buying and maintaining firefighting equipment and educating the public on fire safety. Many experts say it’s long past time to shift the focus back to managing healthy forests that can better withstand fire and add to a more sustainable future.